Too Hot to Handle
by SMK KMS
Summary: Lee finds out the truth of the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." A sequel of sorts to BOYS WILL BE BOYS.


Disclaimers: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters; I simply like to share their world for a short time.

A/N Just a typical evening with the family; don't want to give too much away. A sequel, of sorts, to BOYS WILL BE BOYS. (Inspired by a real-life event starring my then 16-year-old son and his teammates. I love my son dearly, but he does provide some of the best material!) Hope you enjoy! A special thanks to Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson—as well as the rest of the cast—for portraying these characters so wonderfully.

Amanda smiled as the Wagoneer pulled out of the drive, her handsome husband at the wheel and both boys and her mother buckled safely behind her in the back seat. They were all headed for dinner at a new Mexican restaurant that had opened in Georgetown. The treat was a reward of sorts for Phillip and Jaime. Since Lee had moved in, he had been exposing the entire household to some of his recipes from around the world. Growing up on numerous Army bases—plus all his travels as part of the Agency—had given him quite a culinary repertoire. All the Stetsons asked of the boys was that they _**try**_ the dishes. Some they loved, some they liked, and some . . . well . . . Dotty was just grateful on the nights Lee offered to cook; it was a welcome respite from the usual routine. Plus, she had to admit, she just loved seeing a man in an apron!

While Lee's abilities were quite diverse, Mexico was one area that he had not experienced. As Phillip's social studies class was beginning a unit on America's neighbor to the South, Lee had suggested this outing as a way to expose all of them to Mexican cuisine. While he had sampled some of the tasty treats during his visits to Texas, he also realized that what he had tasted was more _Tex-Mex_ . . . the Texans' way of doing Mexican. True Mexican, he was told, could be quite a bit different. Tonight, it seemed, they were all going to be trying some new things!

As they were shown to their table, the boys couldn't help but comment on the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

"Wow! Something sure smells wonderful," exclaimed Phillip. "I'm starved."

"I think we all are, Chief. Let's see what's on the menu, shall we?"

"Sweetheart, there are just so many different things! I'd like to try just about everything," said Amanda with a dazzling smile.

"Then I have a suggestion," Lee offered. "Let's each order something different, then share. That way we all get to try a variety of dishes."

Everyone nodded in agreement. When the waiter returned, their orders were promptly placed. Five diners—five different dishes. Let the tasting begin!

When the plates of food were placed in front of them a short time later, everyone just stared. Not only did everything smell delicious, but the food on each plate was artfully arranged. The rice and sauces under Lee's steak skewer even made his plate look like the Mexican flag!

"What are these?" Jaime asked Lee, pointing to the small green peppers used as garnish on everyone's plates.

"Well, I know it's some type of pepper," responded Lee. "What I don't know is how hot it is. I may not know a lot about Mexican food, but I do know that some varieties of peppers can contain quite a bit of heat—although I wouldn't think they would use the extremely hot varieties as garnish. Hang on."

Lee quickly motioned for the waiter to come over to the table. "Excuse me, but my son was wondering what type of peppers these are and if they are hot," Lee asked as he pointed to the garnish on his plate.

"They are serrano peppers, sir. They are quite popular in my home country of Mexico. While they do contain some heat, they are not considered to be very hot by most people." The waiter concluded with a small bow and a smile on his face.

"Thank you," Lee said, dismissing the waiter.

Phillip slowly picked the pepper up from his plate with his fingers, studying it carefully.

"Despite what your mother and Lee say about trying everything at least once, I don't think you should try that pepper," cautioned Dotty. "Just because a native Mexican has told you that it's not considered hot by most people . . . I don't know . . . the people he is talking about grew up eating these things. Remember the Vietnamese dish Lee made last month? Remember you and your brother running for a glass of water after only one bite? And your mother and I didn't think it was spicy at all. Everyone's taste buds are different, you know."

"Ahhh Grandma . . . that was last month. Besides, I trust the waiter. And it's just a tiny little thing." With that statement, he took a bite and began to chew. Almost instantly his face turned a bright shade of red, and he quickly spit out the offending food. Reaching for his water, he quickly downed the entire glass—sputtering the whole time.

"Come on Phillip; it can't be that hot," admonished Jaime as he, too, took a bite of his—with the exact same reaction.

"You two just aren't used to heat," said Lee with a grin. "Here, I'll show you how it's done," he bragged.

Lee turned an even brighter shade of red than the boys—something that Amanda didn't think was possible—although he did manage to swallow like a man. He quickly regretted that action, as the pepper continued to burn the entire way down to his stomach. His water was soon depleted, and he reached for his wife's.

"Oh no you don't, Buster," she said as she snatched the glass from his reach. "You were crazy enough to eat the thing, so suffer. And no, don't try to explain," she said as Lee started to try to talk. "I know the boys aren't used to heat, but did you not see the expressions on their faces?"

"And did you not hear my warning?" added Dotty.

By this time their table had the attention of the entire restaurant. With a knowing grin, their waiter quickly brought three large glasses of milk to the table.

"This will help; the milk coats the mouth and soothes away the heat," the waiter said with a smile.

"Thank you very much. You certainly seem to know the cure. Does this happen frequently?" questioned Amanda graciously.

"Often enough," he responded. "Not surprisingly, it's almost always the young boys. They think they can handle anything." He smiled at Phillip and Jaime.

"And how do you explain our 6'2" _**boy**_?" Dotty questioned as she indicated the still red-faced Lee.

"Oh, I have no explanation for him," he said with a chuckle. "But perhaps he was merely trying to impress the lovely ladies at this table?"

Amanda and Dotty simply shook their heads and smiled as the waiter walked away.

"Well . . . now that we've had our excitement . . . let's try some of this delicious-looking food," encouraged Amanda.

Phillip, Jaime, and Lee just looked at each other, then looked at their plates.

"You and Dotty just go right ahead. I don't know about the boys, but I really think my meal will be going home with me in a box. After all, I've heard that most food is actually better-tasting the next day," Lee tried to rationalize.

Both boys nodded their heads in agreement. As hungry as they were, they knew that trying to eat right now just wasn't a good idea; their mouths were just too sensitive!

Amanda caught her mother's eye and winked. "Well, Mother, shall we?"

"Yes, we shall! I'm starved," she said as she busied herself with unwrapping her silverware to hide her grin.

As mother and daughter enjoyed the food on their plates, as well as sampling everyone else's fare, they made sure they raved about the incredible dishes. Appreciative moans and sighs could be heard with every bite! Meanwhile, the three others sat in silence and sipped the remainder of their milk. All three looked like they had lost their best friend.

As the ladies were finishing up, the waiter reappeared with three TO GO boxes. "I hope everything was to your liking."

"Oh, everything was absolutely scrumptious," replied Dotty. Amanda nodded her head in agreement.

"Dessert for anyone?" questioned the waiter as he specifically grinned at Lee and the boys. "Might I suggest the Fried Ice Cream?"

At the words _Ice Cream_ , Phillip and Jaime's eyes lit up and Lee's stomach let out a loud growl.

Lee quickly ordered five of the delicious treats. Maybe the meal wouldn't be a complete loss after all.

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As the Stetsons settled into bed that evening, Amanda couldn't help but smile at her handsome husband as he leaned in for a kiss. She quickly put a finger on his lips, effectively stopping his advances.

"A-man-da, what are you doing? The boys and your mother are sound asleep, and it's time for a little romance," he said as he wriggled his eyebrows.

"Romance is fine, Sweetheart, but kissing is off the table for now. Isn't your mouth still sore?" She was having trouble keeping a straight face, especially when she saw his hurt look.

"What? No! It's completely healed; the milk and ice cream really helped."

"But I'm just worried," she hedged. "What if some of the pepper oils are still on your lips? I saw the agony you were in at the restaurant. You don't want me to suffer the same fate, do you?"

"Relax . . . there's nothing to worry about. If there were still oils anywhere on my lips or in my mouth, I'd know it! Besides, that pepper wasn't all that bad."

"Right, Stetson . . . then why was your face as red as a ripe tomato? Actually, a better question is why did you even try the pepper in the first place? Couldn't you see the boys were in pain? Should I ask Billy to sign you up for a refresher course in observation skills?"

"I was just trying to prove to the boys that it wasn't as bad as they thought. Remember their reaction to the Vietnamese food the other week, huh? Besides . . . I'm a highly trained agent . . . I can handle anything," he boasted. He chuckled slightly as the grin on his face spread, showing off his adorable dimples.

"Sure . . . keep telling yourself that," she responded with a laugh of her own. "Just remember, you _swallowed_ the thing."

"Don't I know it. It burned like hell all the way down. It's only the past hour or so that my stomach isn't burning."

"Well just remember, Sweetheart . . . what goes in has to come out. I'd say that sometime tomorrow you're going to see that hot pepper in a whole different light." She couldn't help giving her one of her _**I'm a mother, I know these things**_ looks with a nod of her head.

He groaned at that thought.

"Well, might as well make the best of the brief respite," he said as he pulled her close and began a round of renewed advances on his beautiful wife.


End file.
